Prefabricated Panels for Rural Residential Houses

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using prefabricated panels in rural residential houses, as detailed below:

Disadvantages

• Poor Structural Performance: When used as floor slabs, prefabricated panels are placed on both sides of the wall. Even if a ring beam is poured, the overall structural performance is far inferior to that of a ring beam and floor slab poured together. This is because integral pouring forms a continuous and complete load-bearing system that better resists various loads, while the spliced method of prefabricated panels has weak points at the connections, making them prone to structural issues during long-term use or under significant external forces.
• Prone to Cracking and Leakage: Prefabricated panels have gaps in the middle, which are challenging for waterproofing. Even if waterproofing measures are taken during construction, over time, factors such as house settlement and temperature changes can damage the waterproof layer at these gaps, leading to cracking and leakage. This affects the normal use of the house and reduces living comfort.
• Poor Sound Insulation: The material and structural characteristics of prefabricated panels result in poor sound insulation performance. Sounds from normal activities of upstairs residents, such as walking, talking, and moving furniture, can be clearly heard downstairs, causing disturbances to the downstairs residents and reducing living privacy and quietness.
• Limited Service Life: The lifespan of prefabricated panels is typically around 30 years, which is relatively short compared to some other building materials. As the years go by, prefabricated panels gradually experience aging and damage, requiring regular maintenance and replacement. This increases the cost of house use and the difficulty of maintenance.

Advantages

• Application in Foundation Damp-Proofing: Prefabricated panels play a certain role in foundation damp-proofing for rural self-built houses and can be used to create a prefabricated panel suspended floor. The damp-proofing principle is to "exchange space for dryness." A cavity of 30 - 50 centimeters is left between the foundation and the first-floor ground. Underground moisture rises into the cavity and gradually dissipates, unable to reach the first-floor ground, effectively preventing moisture problems on the first floor and protecting interior decoration and furniture from moisture damage. The specific method is to control the height of the backfill soil at 30 - 50 centimeters from the ground and compact it after the ground beam is poured, and then lay the prefabricated panels to form the suspended floor.